Sri Lankan cashew nut curry

Cashew nuts are among my favourite; I love the sweet and creamy flavour, especially if roasted. Cashew nuts are grown in both Sri Lanka and in South India, and they are used not just in snacks but in curries, stir-fries, and to make korma sauce. However, the fruit is also edible, sweet, earthy and quite acidic. One of the unique facts about this fruit is that the seed is found outside the fruit; it hangs as a hook at the bottom of the delicate bell-shaped fruit covered in a shell that exudes a sticky, very caustic oil that will burn your skin.

This very easy curry is delicate and aromatic. The spices enhance the flavours of the cashew nuts, adding a hint of heat and tones of flavour. This curry is loaded with nuts, so it exudes luxury and elegance, perfect for impressing your guests. I will admit that I absolutely loved the notes and textures of the curry and will have to make this again to curb my craving for these delicate flavours.

This is an amazing cookbook, so much so that I rarely now go to the other Sri Lankan cookbooks on my shelf. It is a gorgeous cookbook, from which I have cooked at least half the recipes, every one spectacular. I believe what makes this book special is the attention to detail, including recipes for every spice blend.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb roasted cashew nuts

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup water

1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3-5 green chillies, finely diced

1 3-inch pandanus leaf

1 1-inch cinnamon stick

Salt, to taste

3 tablespoons ghee

2 small onions, finely diced

10 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

2 pinches roasted curry powder (See recipe below

Add the cashew nuts, coconut milk, water, chilli powder, ground cumin, turmeric, green chiles, pandanus leaf, cinnamon stick and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

While the curry is simmering, add the ghee to a wide frying pan and heat on medium heat. Add the onions, curry leaves, dill seeds, and sauté until the onions are well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir into the simmering curry. Taste and adjust for salt.

To serve, heat the curry to just below boiling. Serve in a bowl sprinkled with the roasted curry powder. Do not stir in the curry powder.

For the Roasted curry powder:

1 1/4 oz coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

5 cloves

1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds

1 dried red chilli (optional)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons rice

4 curry leaves

Roast all ingredients individually on a frying pan until toasted and lightly colored. Cool and grind to a fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.